(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a means and method for autonomous manipulation of a working element or elements, and in particular, control of the working element or elements based on identification tracking in camera space of visual cues associated with the working element or elements and any object or objects which is or are to be engaged.
(b) Problems in the Art
Automatic manipulation, robotics and autonomous manipulation are currently significant and developing areas of technology. A particularly valuable but complex field of development involves manipulation relying on artificial vision of cameras, robots, and computers.
Attempts have been made to give robots vision by incorporating a camera or other sensory means into the system for manipulation. Tass can be performed by pre-programming based on tedious pre-calibration or by human monitoring. No fully acceptable vision application for autonomous manipulation has been developed.
In tasks requiring autonomous manipulation, a common method to use vision is to set up a measured grid or framework which is calibrated to the camera's vision or camera space. Movement or interjection of objects into the actual physical work space is then directly identified via a priori calibration with camera space. The camera space, which in reality is comprised of the electronic or mathematical reproduction of the camera's pictures, can then be processed to identify and track objects within the physical work space and to control manipulation of robotic or mechanical tools or activities. Such systems require significant time and precision in calibration and require maintenance of the original grid or framework for accurate functioning. Such systems would be particularly insufficient in tasks where a grid or framework could not be set up easily in the actual physical work space, such as in outer space or in undersea projects, or in other situations where the base of the manipulator is independent of monitoring cameras.
Other systems have utilized cameras at the very end of a manipulator arm. Such systems do not allow for multi-view cameras to avoid perception distortion and generally require human control of the manipulator.
There is no known autonomous manipulation system which relies completely on camera space manipulation.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to present a means and method for camera space manipulation which solves or improves over the problems and deficiencies in the art.
A further object of the invention is to present the above described means and method which does not require calibration or direct identification of physical space with camera space.
Another object of the present invention is to present a means and method as above described which allows remote manipulation of a mechanical arm to engage a remote object in the work space without knowledge of the object's exact position or knowledge of the camera's position.
Another object of the present invention is to present a means and method as above described which functions with regard to moving objects entering the manipulator's work space having an unknown position or orientation relative to the manipulator and/or monitoring cameras.
An additional object of the present invention is to present a means and method as above described which functions even if the manipulator, the camera, or the object are all in slow relative movement to one another.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent with reference to the accompanying specification and claims.